SERDANG, July 30 — Five essential items under the COOP brand - sugar, cooking oil, flour, rice, and frozen chicken - will be sold at lower prices from September.
Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development Minister Tan Sri Noh Omar said the brand, under the initiative Malaysia Co-operative Societies Commission (SKM), is expected to be between 10 and 25 per cent cheaper than local market prices.
He added that all the necessities would be imported from Thailand, Indonesia, Pakistan, India, and India to reduce the role and involvement of middlemen.
"At the initial stage, we will market the products at the existing 3,000 cooperative shops in the country. In the second stage, if we see the initiative was well received, we will sell outside the cooperatives, using the COOP trademark.
"The COOP price will be controlled by SKM. The licence to distribute under the COOP trademark will be cancelled for those who do not comply with the rules set by SKM,” he told reporters after opening the National Cooperatives Day 2022 today.
Noh said the ministry does not rule out the possibility of expanding to some other items if the initiative has received a positive response.
He added that the products would be sold both physically and online beginning in September.
The National Cooperatives Day is being held simultaneously with the Malaysian Cooperative Expo (ESKOM) at Mines International Exhibition and Convention Centre (MIECC), Seri Kembangan, with 400 cooperative booths and entrepreneurs from local and international cooperatives, from July 28 to tomorrow. — Bernama
